ALBANY (AP) -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday that New York would greatly boost its chance of receiving $700 million in additional federal education money if the state lifts its cap on charter schools, weighing in on the Legislature's divisive fight over the future of charters.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Duncan said New York's charter school cap had cost the state 13 points in its first application for a "Race to the Top" grant - new federal money awarded to states that demonstrate innovative educational reform efforts. New York performed poorly, placing 15th out of 16 states that applied.
Applications for the second round of funding are due June 1. Duncan said New York had a "great chance" to win a grant this time but that its position on charter schools could tip the balance.
"It's a very, very competitive process, and two or three points can really make a difference," Duncan told the AP. "New York has a real choice on its hands: They can press for the maximum chance of winning or they can go through the motions."
The charter school cap has emerged as a key issue in Albany as legislators search for ways to close a massive budget gap without making deep cuts to education.
President Barack Obama supports expanding the number of charter schools over the objection of many teachers unions, which worry that more charters would take money away from traditional public schools. The New York state Senate has passed a bill raising the cap from 200 to 460 charter schools, but the state Assembly has not yet acted on the legislation.
Duncan and Mayor Michael Bloomberg toured two Brooklyn schools on Tuesday - a charter school and a traditional public school whose student body is nearly 50 percent Bangladeshi. A majority of students at both schools are performing at or above grade level in reading and math.
Speaking to reporters after the tour, Duncan did not say explicitly that New York would need to lift its charter cap to get the new federal money. He said he was more interested in seeing states present real ideas for reform, whether in a traditional public school or a charter setting.
"If folks are putting together applications that will take education to the next level, that's what it's about," Duncan said. "At the end of the day, we want reforms that last two, three or four decades, not two, three or four years."
Duncan said the success of both schools showed that public schools of all stripes can be successful.
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